ABSTRACT
Complexity theorists are fundamentally concerned with describing and tracing emerging patterns in dynamic systems in order to explain change and growth. As such, Complexity Theory (CT) is well-suited for use by researchers who study second language acquisition (SLA), and it is not surprising, therefore, that its influence has been increasing. In fact, the famous physicist Stephen Hawking (2000) has called the 21st century “the century of complexity.” This chapter begins with an overview of the constructs within CT, and then turns to how they apply to second language acquisition, or second language development, as an adherent of CT would prefer to call it (Larsen-Freeman, 2011).
